Jeopardy! Season 37 (2020-2021)

[shapeshifter]

10 minutes ago, ams1001 said:

17 minutes ago, 853fisher said:

I was more taken aback by the anecdote Fox chose to share.  That was a rather blasé discussion of being a teen runaway and then homeless for several months.  I hope things have stabilized for him.  Hey, he made it to Jeopardy!

I totally missed his story. That sounds sad.

3 minutes ago, 853fisher said:

It was framed as "at 15 I hitchhiked from Ontario to California and ended up sleeping in Golden Gate Park [the Central Park of San Francisco] for six months."  Perhaps I am reading too much into it because he reminds me of various queer people I know, and perhaps I shouldn't speculate on a stranger's life story based on a 20 second chat, but it sounded awfully sad to me.  If he's reframed it in a way that he can speak about it on the terms he did, more power to him, but I found it tough to hear.

Since I did something similar at 19 I missed the significance of his age. 😞

 

[secnarf]

52 minutes ago, 853fisher said:

I had no luck on FJ.  I found it tough to untangle winter and summer in my mind, especially when they used to be in the same year.  A friend insists that Germany is not correct, because the Munich games were held in West Germany.  He has no excuse as to why he couldn't name the other county instead 😉 but that is an interesting point.

I spent the entire time debating between Germany and Australia, and this was part of what gave me pause about Germany. For Australia, I could only recall the Sydney Olympics but thought it was likely they had another summer games at some point in history. I ended up going with Germany, but was a bit unsure if the Munich games would count.

My memory really seems to have abandoned me though - While contemplating FJ, I couldn't for the life of me recall the names of the German cities. It was "the one with Hitler" and "the one with the terrorists".

I did get a chuckle out of the TWoP clue.

[saber5055]

1 hour ago, HelenBaby said:

TWoP brought back memories. I was a long time poster and lurker after I got kicked out the first time (a new IP address & user name got me back on the board. Don’t tell anyone. LOL) They had some strict moderation on that site. 

I know, right? I went through at least three different identities on TWoP. It was a harsh place. But I met some posters who became good friends on the Prison Break thread, we exchanged Xmas gifts and visited each other IRL, and would call each other just to gab. Remember phone calls? And it was a TS. I guess those that can, get on Jeopardy. Those that can't, post online. But man, that site was THE BEST. I went back to the read-only some time ago when I needed a trip down Memory Lane. Don't know if it is still there.

That clue made me pretty sure show runners/PAs/writers lurked there, and now hover around this site.

The champ makes me think of Heisenberg.

[GreekGeek]

Another refugee from TWoP here. I discovered it right after my own Jeopardy! appearance in 2010. Nobody was snarky about me, but somebody commented that I looked familiar. I still have no idea who that was or where we may have crossed paths.

I also knew the Tyrrhenian Sea from years of teaching Latin students the geography of Italy, and noble rot from a weird trivia fact: John Belushi wanted to make a movie about the wine industry called Noble Rot. I did not get William Blake, though. I guessed Edward Lear; he was the only poet/painter I could think of.

I remembered the Munich Olympics because they were the first ones I followed closely and I knew about the Berlin Olympics. I would never have come up with Australia; my second choice would have been France.

Dennis is amazing. You have to admire someone who can bet $7000 on a DD, miss it, and still make the game a runaway.

Edited April 13, 2021 by GreekGeek

[BuckeyeLou]

1 hour ago, DrSpaceman73 said:

No kidding about that story.  Like the one last week about getting lost on a field trip in grade school.

 

Twops shout out! Loved that sight.  Migrated here when it disappeared.  

I guessed china for FJ but was thinking Australia too

Yep, loved seeing "Television Without Pity"(altho nobody knew the answer), I too made my way over here after TWOP disappeared

[Bastet]

Art is a weak category for me, but I managed to only miss two.  I, of course, got TWoP, but missed two in that website category, too.  Also two in seas/lakes.  I ran the other three categories.

In DJ, I only ran TV.  But I didn't do too bad overall; I missed two in British history, and one each in the remaining categories.

I knew both countries for FJ (I thought of Germany first, then Australia), so I wish that counted as extra credit that raised my overall score.

[zoey1996]

2 hours ago, Grundoon59 said:

I could almost hear all of us shouting PITY in tribute to that late, great site.  

I was yelling Pity! Pity!  And knew others here would be also! I use my same user name here as there.  I was scolded over there for one infraction. Apparently snark was OK only in reference to a TV show, not to other posters.  I still remember the incident.  

Haven't there been some weird contestant stories lately? The two today were doozies, though.  

 

[Cotypubby]

I said Australia immediately for FJ but I misread the clue and thought we needed both countries, and could not come up with Germany. I thought maybe the second was Italy, thinking of Rome in 1960 and either Milan or Turin. (Now I see that Turin was Winter and Milan didn’t happen yet.)

[kathyk24]

I squealed when Television without Pity was featured tonight. I wonder if one of the writers worked there? I got Australia right away had no clue about the other country. Fox was lucky he didn't get arrested or worse for hitchhiking.

[853fisher]

My friend who pointed out that Munich was in West Germany in 1972 has realized that the clue asked specifically for a country "with two different cities that have hosted the Summer Olympics."  Berlin and Munich belong to present-day Germany, so the writers are safe from "well, technically..." although I understand why that gave some of us pause.

Edited April 13, 2021 by 853fisher

[Good Queen Jane]

Another TWoP refugee here. OMG, I loved the recaps there. I still think about Miss Allie every time I watch The Amazing Race. Good to know it isn't forgotten.

[Clanstarling]

13 hours ago, ams1001 said:

I was only half paying attention to most of the first round (edit: and the second 🙄), but I got Television Without Pity! Sadly I discovered it only months before it shut down. 😞 I miss the recaps.

I figured plenty of us here were former TWOPers. I really miss those recaps - most of the ones I find aren't much more than a recitation of what happened, without any commentary. And the ones that do have commentary are nothing like TWOP.  I don't remember if I posted, or if I was a lurker. I loved whoever it was who reviewed Battlestar Galactica (Jacob? Daniel?). I

12 hours ago, Browncoat said:

I had to think about FJ for a second, but came up with Australia in plenty of time.  I wasn't at all confident about it, though.  Germany never occurred to me.

I came up with Australia and then out-smarted (out stupided?) myself by thinking how the seasons were different in Australia and dismissed it. The fact that Germany never occurred to me is a personal embarrassment as the '32 and the '72 Olympics are the ones I know most about. And I was absolutely riveted during the '72 Olympics and devastated by the outcome.

As for the technicality of West Germany vs Germany - just another comment. The Olympic grounds could have been in West Berlin, thus making it accurate either way. But I have no idea where the grounds were. Germany was united in 32 and is reunited now, so I think that qualifies, as others have said in different words.

 

[Mindthinkr]

I missed the show due to a phone call from my daughter. It was important as she knows it better be if she calls me when it’s airing. I did check on FJ and I didn’t get it. 

[Bliss]

14 hours ago, saber5055 said:

The champ makes me think of Heisenberg.

When I first saw Dennis, my initial thought was, "I wonder if he's related to John Malkovich?"

Then... Of Mice and Men! I mean, really??? Did the writers have the same thought when they saw Dennis ? LOL

[saber5055]

11 hours ago, kathyk24 said:

Fox was lucky he didn't get arrested or worse for hitchhiking.

My boyfriend used to hitchhike from Illinois to Ohio to see me when I was in college. I'd make him a sign to hold showing his destination, making it easier for people going that way to pick him up. He'd flip it to the other side when he got halfway home, each side had a destination for half the trip. It was common to see hitchhikers back then. I did it myself when I put my car in a ditch, I hitchhiked a ride back home. Those were the Good Old Days and a common means of traveling on a budget.

I liked Fox's story and thought, "Cool, man" when he told it. I am sure he learned more in that time than the rest of us did sitting around at home ... as proven by him on Jeopardy and me sitting around at home.

[bad things are bad]

4 hours ago, Clanstarling said:

The Olympic grounds could have been in West Berlin, thus making it accurate either way. But I have no idea where the grounds were

I visited West Berlin a couple of times when I lived in West (!) Germany and the Olympic Stadium was in West Berlin.  Not sure about other venues though.

I did get Germany quickly for FJ as I do remember being broken hearted about the Munich Olympics for a couple of reasons: one being the obvious, but the second was that we had only been back in the States for two months when those Olympics happened. The coverage made us miss Germany desperately. 

[shapeshifter]

13 hours ago, kathyk24 said:

Fox was lucky he didn't get arrested or worse for hitchhiking.

In the 1970s it was legal as long as you were not past the sign on the entrance ramp that said "no pedestrians" beyond that point, or if you were in Oregon, or if you were in Canada.
The "or worse" was the bigger concern.

Interesting that his name was listed as "Drew Fox," but he went by "Fox," which also reminds me of folks when I was hitchhiking who adopted names like "Star" or "Cedar." Somehow I never could self-identify as "Rainbow" or anything similar. 

I feel bad that he only netted $48. 

[ProudMary]

20 hours ago, 853fisher said:

Famous Families was a damp squib for me, though.  Drew wasn't a great clue reader, and the material was dull.  "Here's a photo of Debbie Reynolds, what's her name?" and "What last name do actors David, Patricia, and Rosanna share?" was hardly riveting trivia.  If Debbie Reynolds is really obscure enough now to be worth $800, I'll need to go breathe into a paper bag.

Seriously, they should at least have required Cliff and not just Arquette, after showing a photo of Charley Weaver. And yes, on the Debbie Reynolds gimme, I was expecting them to ask for the names of Billie Lourd's maternal grandparents. Way too simple otherwise. 

19 hours ago, Grundoon59 said:

I could almost hear all of us shouting PITY in tribute to that late, great site.  

I thought I noticed an echo as I was yelling at my screen!

19 hours ago, M. Darcy said:

OMG!!! TWOP!!  
 

I got everything right in the British History category.  And yet again, no one knew William Blake. 

I can't help it. Every time there's a William Blake question, my mind goes right here:

 

[DrSpaceman73]

I've always wondered when they have the guests reading the clues on the tv screen  or especially the obvious 'sponsored' / paid ads categories, are they contractually required to do all those clues?   And if so, doesn't it make the most sense to save them for last to make they get through the whole board? 

 

I don't think drew Barrymore was advertising for anything but herself but some of them they're obviously embedded ads

Edited April 13, 2021 by DrSpaceman73

[LBS]

Finally figured out who Dennis reminds me of.  The actor from Outlander Graham Mactavish:

 

Edited April 13, 2021 by LBS

[853fisher]

Today's best closed captioning boner was the revelation that folks leave notes at Jerusalem's "Whaling Wall."  Silly me, I thought that was in New Bedford.

I did know Orion somehow, although I only get half credit because I thought he had arrows, not a sword.  The shape I took to be a bow being drawn back is supposed to be a shield, I guess?  I must have gotten him confused with, ya know, Sagittarius.

I would have liked Dennis to keep going, but the new champ did very well too.  His anecdote made me think of Deacon Yun, who was in residence at our childhood parish to serve the Korean community.  We liked his preaching in English and I am always sorry to remember that he passed away in 2012.

I got all of Stir Crazy, Movie Musicals, and Wails, and probably would've done Animal Words too if I'd been paying any attention.  Maybe next time!

2 hours ago, DrSpaceman73 said:

I've always wondered when they have the guests reading the clues on the tv screen  or especially the obvious 'sponsored' / paid ads categories, are they contractually required to do all those clues?   And if so, doesn't it make the most sense to save them for last to make they get through the whole board?

I have no idea whether there is a contractual obligation, but I can't ever remember a clue in one of these categories being skipped.  I have always thought they could find 20 or 30 seconds to clear the board when they don't, and would be unsurprised to learn that's exactly what they do if required for these categories, if for no other reason than to justify the additional effort / expense needed to prepare them.  I might be inclined to take your advice and save that category for last if I were competing.

Edited April 13, 2021 by 853fisher

[ams1001]

7 minutes ago, LBS said:

Finally figured out who Dennis reminds me of.  

He reminds me a bit of my best friend's dad...

[illdoc]

25 minutes ago, 853fisher said:

 I must have gotten him confused with, ya know, Sagittarius.

Or "Saggitarius", as both contestants wrote. I admit, if you had asked me "what weapon is Orion holding?", I could not have given you an answer.

[ams1001]

Again not totally paying attention but I got all the literary characters, so that makes me happy. Also 4 each in batteries and unity.

No final. I also said Sagittarius (guess I'm not the only one who thought the weapon was an arrow; I'm not real up on my constellations).

Would have liked to see Dennis keep going, but I like the new guy well enough.

Aaron seems to be more relaxed this week. He continues to grow on me. I felt bad for him that no one got the Packers clue (not that I got it, either, but I didn't get anything in that category.).

[bankerchick]

So, Green Bay Packers wasn't even worth a guess??  What was it, the second clue of the game, worth $400?  Not to mention, what else could it be with Rodgers there?

[853fisher]

36 minutes ago, ams1001 said:

He reminds me a bit of my best friend's dad...

Your best friend's dad is Graham Mactavish?! 😉

11 minutes ago, ams1001 said:

Aaron seems to be more relaxed this week. He continues to grow on me. I felt bad for him that no one got the Packers clue (not that I got it, either, but I didn't get anything in that category.).

I thought he did very well today.  His reaction to the Packers being missed, and subsequent "oh, but you knew that one..." were funny without being too much.  He's growing on me too, just in time to move on to another one.  Meh.

[Browncoat]

Dennis reminded me a bit of Sean Connery.  Sad to see him go, although I like the new champ, too.

As soon as I saw the category for FJ, I said, "Ugh.  I don't know anything about Astronomy except Orion."  So, of course I guessed Orion (and I knew it was right).

TS I got included the Packers (on a guess), Scott Kelly (nice dig from Aaron), and Jurassic.  

[Katy M]

I was waffling between Orion and Sag, so of course I picked Sag.  Oh well.

the only missed clue I got was Scottsdale.

I got the entire category of lit characters right.

[mertensia]

I knew Scott Kelly - his brother is my Senator. Needless to say before the clue was read I said "Mark Kelly!"

The Packers clue and his reaction was pretty funny.

[Driad]

The hosts often wish the contestants good luck before the game starts.  Since two of them will lose, presumably "good luck" means something like "I hope none of you make a stupid mistake that will haunt you"?

[chessiegal]

When I saw the VP category, I pre-called Spiro Agnew.

[shapeshifter]

FJ was Instaget for me, and I loved that Aaron said Astronomy was a great category.

I'm glad the Packers response was missed because it gave a lot of viewers a chance to see AR's charm that I saw when he first walked out on his first Monday on Jeopardy.
 

I wondered if there was a new clue writer or editor on the team, or if some were absent. 
For example, the clever humor at the end of this clue seemed like it would have been typically edited out for the board:
"Also known as penlight, this 2-letter type of battery has the magical ability to fail in my TV remote after about 3 weeks"

But more to the point, I thought this TS clue was awkwardly worded: 
"Daniel Tompkins, his vice president during the Era of Good Feelings, was very often absent from his duties,"
although I can't figure out how to make it more clear.

[bankerchick]

26 minutes ago, mertensia said:

I knew Scott Kelly - his brother is my Senator. Needless to say before the clue was read I said "Mark Kelly!"

And it was funny when Rodgers slyly mentioned him coming in 2nd place in a certain celebrity Jeopardy tournament.

[secnarf]

Instaget FJ for me - I didn't even consider anything else. Orion is my favourite constellation and I have a photo of it printed onto my cell phone case. You can even see the glow of the Orion nebula in the photo.

[saber5055]

It's predicted the Packers TS clip will be all over the news and radio later tonight and tomorrow. More great PR for Jeopardy and Aaron. I admit Aaron got a laugh out of me about it. While I strongly dislike football, I easily knew the answer since no one can live where I do and not constantly hear about the Bears and the Packers before, during and after the season. Whether they want to or not.

Meanwhile, FJ was a literal instaget. I love star watching and am out in the pitch black of my property for every meteor show and other cosmic event. Every time I'm out at night I see Orion, the only constellation I can easily see (well, besides the dippers). I don't even know where Sagittarius is, even though I am one.

[shapeshifter]

16 minutes ago, secnarf said:

Instaget FJ for me - I didn't even consider anything else. Orion is my favourite constellation and I have a photo of it printed onto my cell phone case. You can even see the glow of the Orion nebula in the photo.

1 minute ago, saber5055 said:

Meanwhile, FJ was a literal instaget. I love star watching and am out in the pitch black of my property for every meteor show and other cosmic event. Every time I'm out at night I see Orion, the only constellation I can easily see (well, besides the dippers). I don't even know where Sagittarius is, even though I am one.

The part of the FJ clue that made it my instaget was "one of a few that can be seen with the naked eye."
@saber5055, I miss living where no artificial light pollution obscures the stars, but I will always cherish the memory of seeing Comet Hyakutake streaking across the sky for multiple nights in 1996.

I don't like football either (mostly because of TBIs), but I do like Aaron for a host, and maybe if he gets to be the permanent host he will hang up his cleats.

[dcalley]

I joined TWoP in the early 2000s and was surprised to see it in a current Jeopardy clue. It shut down 7 years ago (is that all?!).

5 hours ago, DrSpaceman73 said:

I've always wondered when they have the guests reading the clues on the tv screen  or especially the obvious 'sponsored' / paid ads categories, are they contractually required to do all those clues?   And if so, doesn't it make the most sense to save them for last to make they get through the whole board?

A lot of those categories are ones they will 100% reveal, yes, but I believe they are always in the first round. Leaving them for last increases the odds that the DJ board won't be cleared. Because DJ clues are worth more, perhaps leaving the mandatory clues for last isn't the best strategy.

[saber5055]

8 minutes ago, shapeshifter said:

maybe if he gets to be the permanent host he will hang up his cleats.

He is making no secret of the fact he can do both, and wants to do both. I mean, play football AND be the permanent Jeopardy host. He's even got the football vs. J taping schedule figured.

[Bastet]

Aaron Rodgers made me laugh with his Mark Kelly teasing and his reaction to the Packers TS.  Especially the latter, with "Go again - I guess" and "Oh, you know that one, huh?"

I ran title waves, stir crazy, batteries, and unity, and only missed one each in VP and cities (the $200 clue, ouch, but I know nothing about Ron Burgundy other than it's a Will Ferrell character, and there are so many cities named after monks there was nothing else to hone me in on San Diego), so a good first round.

In DJ, I only ran animal words & phrases and wails, missing two Scotts (it would have only been one if Scott Tur-Something had counted for the author) and two musicals, plus one each in England, literary characters.

I didn't have much hope for FJ based on the category, but I guessed it correctly.  Maybe I learned that from Battlestar Galactica?  Or just had previously known Orion = hunter and thus thought of that because of weapon?  I have no idea, but I backed my way into it, so good for me.

[HissyFit]

3 hours ago, 853fisher said:

Today's best closed captioning boner was the revelation that folks leave notes at Jerusalem's "Whaling Wall."  Silly me, I thought that was in New Bedford.

Since J! is recorded so far in advance, there should be time to edit and correct the closed captions. Some are really cringeworthy, but any errors are embarrassing on a show of this caliber. 

[opus]

19 minutes ago, saber5055 said:

He is making no secret of the fact he can do both, and wants to do both. I mean, play football AND be the permanent Jeopardy host. He's even got the football vs. J taping schedule figured.

Don’t know if I can see that happening. Too much risk of a major injury  occurring ruining scheduling. And football can be pretty dangerous too.

[853fisher]

They are of course not bound to these kinds of comments, but I think Richards said they were looking for someone who would do J! full time and nothing else.  That would seem to rule Rodgers out unless he retired from football.  I don't know when a football player ordinarily retires or what his salary is or might be in the future or anything like that.  If I had to guess, he could probably make out just as well financially with J! longterm as with football for a few more years, and avoid future TBIs and more too.  I wouldn't turn J! down if I were him and got the offer.

17 minutes ago, HissyFit said:

Since J! is recorded so far in advance, there should be time to edit and correct the closed captions. Some are really cringeworthy, but any errors are embarrassing on a show of this caliber. 

Indeed.  Then again, I regularly notice copyediting errors in various "newspapers of record" and other sources where they also do not belong, and where until recently I think they were far fewer and farther between.  I think in general these details are no longer considered as important.  I can joke about it because I usually hear and process well enough, but it's really not right for those who can't to have to rely on errant captions.  On J!, I rarely notice straight-up spelling errors, more like lazy homophones and similar.  I wonder whether they have someone review the results of automatic voice-to-text transcription, but that person does not have access to the show tape?  It's not enough, whatever they're doing.

Edited April 14, 2021 by 853fisher

[Prevailing Wind]

4 hours ago, 853fisher said:

I have no idea whether there is a contractual obligation, but I can't ever remember a clue in one of these categories being skipped.  I have always thought they could find 20 or 30 seconds to clear the board when they don't, and would be unsurprised to learn that's exactly what they do if required for these categories, if for no other reason than to justify the additional effort / expense needed to prepare them.  I might be inclined to take your advice and save that category for last if I were competing.

I think it happened with the Christopher Plummer category. They didn't finish it and a few months later that last clue showed up in a Potpourri category.  I know that's not the same as a category about an upcoming Sony movie, but it's closer to it than a regular category.

I immediately cried out, "Orion!" and then I thought, "Oh, it might be Saggitarius.  Nah...it's Orion."   Yay.

[ErinV]

The Streetcar Named Desire clue was way too easy for a $1000 clue!

Agreed that Aaron is growing on me!

[DrSpaceman73]

1 hour ago, saber5055 said:

He is making no secret of the fact he can do both, and wants to do both. I mean, play football AND be the permanent Jeopardy host. He's even got the football vs. J taping schedule figured.

He may think so but if I'm the packers I dont want him doing jeopardy hosting during the NFL season.  

Won't happen anyway he isn't getting this job permanently. He will probably end up in an nfl booth as an announcer should he so desire.  He probably has about two or three years left playing but he's been pretty healthy most of his career and who knows he could be like brady decide to just keep playing. 

No one knew the packers clue?  

[Quickbeam]

26 minutes ago, DrSpaceman73 said:

 

No one knew the packers clue?  

Nope. Which is amazing with the entire Badger State screaming it at their TVs. Could have heard us from space.

[shapeshifter]

2 hours ago, 853fisher said:

… don't know when a football player ordinarily retires or what his salary is or might be in the future or anything like that.  If I had to guess, he could probably make out just as well financially with J! longterm as with football for a few more years, and avoid future TBIs and more too.  I wouldn't turn J! down if I were him and got the offer

Yes. If I were Aaron Rodgers’ mom, that would be my advice to him. 😉

 

[Cherpumple]

2 hours ago, 853fisher said:

They are of course not bound to these kinds of comments, but I think Richards said they were looking for someone who would do J! full time and nothing else.

But what does the host do on non-taping days? If they only tape 46 days per year, it seems a bit unfair to ask the host to not do anything else the remainder of the year.

[Prevailing Wind]

The host makes enough money to do a LOT of travelling the rest of the time.

[Irlandesa]

6 hours ago, shapeshifter said:

I'm glad the Packers response was missed because it gave a lot of viewers a chance to see AR's charm that I saw when he first walked out on his first Monday on Jeopardy.

Aaron is a pretty deliberate speaker but in longer interviews, his sly sense of humor does come out.  It was nice that the total miss opened the door to see a little of that.

But knowing Aaron's history with chips on his shoulder, I also instantly knew that all three contestants were dead.to.him.  Seriously, I was living for the jocular disdain.

I liked Contestant Norah's little anecdote about herself.  So often the little teasers about the little tidbits into their lives are boring but this one was weird enough that I wanted to hear more.

Quote

He is making no secret of the fact he can do both, and wants to do both. I mean, play football AND be the permanent Jeopardy host.

Which is interesting because I think before he actually taped the episode, his opinion was the opposite.